Polk Relieved, Knows Time Is Now

Chris Polk knows that his durability has been questioned this summer after the running back missed the majority of Training Camp and the preseason with a lingering hamstring injury. He knows that many people thought he would end up on the outside of the roster bubble after the impressive preseasons put forth by the likes of Matthew Tucker and Henry Josey.

So when he got a call from general manager Howie Roseman last weekend, he had every right to be nervous.

“They scared the crap out of me because I got a call from Howie and he told me to meet with Chip (Kelly),” Polk said. “I was like, ‘Oh no, I’m gone.’ So I met with Chip, we were talking, and he was like, ‘You made the team.’ My heart just dropped to the bottom of my chair and I was just relieved, but at the same time excited.

“It was definitely nerve-wracking being that we had a great stable of running backs who showcased their ability every week and did some really good, tremendous things. You never know that they’re thinking, I didn’t know.”

Polk recalled a similar conversation during his rookie season when he received a phone call from an unknown Philadelphia number that turned out to be then-assistant running backs coach Duce Staley.

“He was trying to have a regular conversation with me,” Polk remembered. “I was like, ‘Spit it out, am I on the team or not?’”

Roster tension aside, Polk recognizes that, with only three running backs on the roster, the time is ticking for his return.

“The hamstring is getting there. I’m real close. Most likely this week,” Polk said when asked about his potential availability this Sunday.

Polk thought back to his conversation with Kelly over the weekend.

“He just said you have to continue to get out there and put your best foot forward,” Polk said. “The pressure’s on me. He didn’t say that, but I know the pressure’s on me because I didn’t do anything in camp. So now that I’m five weeks behind, I really have to go out there and showcase what I can do.”